300: Rise of an Empire [2 Discs] [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray/DVD] [2014]

I was expecting More. Most sequels are never as great as the original movie, as is the case with this. I was happy to see they kept with the same cinematography as the original 300, and I appreciated most of the sound track. But the Plot was thin, predictable and just not that engrossing. I would recommend it for a rental. Buy not a need to own.

I went into the theaters with so much excitement for this movie as I'm a huge fan of the first 300 movie. However by the end of Rise of an Empire, I was a little disappointed and felt it didn't live up to the first movie. Rise of an Empire does a great job in tying events from the past and bringing them into the present for the Athenian warriors, taking place before and after the battle of Thermopylae. I felt that these connections made a strong story for the film and it's characters, especially Xerxes. My only one gripe with the movie was with the fight scenes. I felt like the slow motion was better utilized in the first movie and that it was added in the wrong time of each fight sequence in Rise of an Empire. Anyone who was a fan of the first should still see this movie, as it's a good movie, though not as great as the first.

As sequels go, Rise of an Empire does a better job than most. It's not an Aliens-level sequel, but it's definitely a worthwhile watch. If you can separate yourself from the original 300, it's even better, as the crew made an obvious attempt to keep what worked about it, but then distance themselves the rest of the way. The cinematography is great, the 3D does a wonderful job with depth of field, and the CG is, for the most part, every bit what you would expect from a 300 sequel. The film also manages to explain a couple of the plot holes left over from the first film, such as the God King's backstory. That said, it definitely has a few moments that made me go "really?" All in all, though, it was a thoroughly pleasant experience and will certainly get multiple viewings from me.

This movie takes place concurrently where the 300 are defending at Thermopylae in the first movie and after their defeat. If you disliked the first movie because of the bloodiness or lack of historical accuracy then let me save you the trouble and stop here as this movie will be similar, otherwise proceed on. I like the antagonist role of Artemisia and Eva Greene plays it very well. The movie provides a brief good back story on how her character came to be where she commands on the Persian side. The movie also provides some back story on how the Persian king came to power which is nice. On the Greek side is Sullivan Stapleton who plays Themistocles and he too does an outstanding job in his role. This movie covers the naval engagement side that was occurring during and after the fall of Thermopylae. Both sides employ strategy in their efforts to outdo the other on the battlefield, which is another aspect of the movie I like. The naval battles fill the waters with galleys ramming one another, ships sinking, and boarding parties dealing out bloody dismemberings with their swords and axes. The only thing this movie lacked was an epic quote like that from Leonidas in 300 "This is Sparta!".

This isn't a prequel or a sequel, it's a multiquel (term I coined). Why is it a multiquel? The beginning of the film takes place 10 years before the events of 300 (King Diaries of Persia, then Prince Xerxes, is killed in battle by Themistocles). The bulk of this film are the events that happened during the same time as the events in 300 (Xerxes' rise to power and becoming the God-King) while the end of this film is what happened after 300 and sets up the events to come in what is expected as the third and final chapter of 300. This film is a worthy film and GREAT performances from it's two breakout stars, Stapleton (Strikeback) as the warrior hero and commanding Genreral Themistocles and Eva Green (Penny Dreadful, Sin City: A Dame to kill for) who is DELICIOUS as the evil sword wielding warrior vixen Artemisia. Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) reprises her role as Queen Gorgo (wife of King Leonidas, the man who led the 300) as does Rodrigo Santoro (Lost, what to expect when expecting) as the God-King Xerxes.

It has been seven years since the original Zack Snyder 300 hit the big screen and the big question surrounding its belated follow-up was always going to be if the novelty of the look of the film had worn off. It was a worthy concern as it seems every major action film since has if not taken cues from the tone of the color palette and enhanced nature of it all than at least the slo-mo of the action that then speeds up to real time, making the strikes from spear to flesh all the more cringe-inducing. It was something fresh and new at the time, Snyder coming off his big win that was the Dawn of the Dead re-make and taking notes from Robert Rodriguez, but going in a different direction and one that would become more of a cultural mainstay than the more cult-worthy Sin City. Like that graphic novel, 300 was also adapted from a Frank Miller work and while Rise of an Empire doesn't take its marching orders from any pre-written comic book it at least tries to make-up for the lack of originality in the visuals by pushing the narrative to more complicated, layered lengths than the original. While 300 was never a film that needed a sequel and really deserved not to have one as a proper sequel could never be concocted Rise of an Empire ultimately gives us the events that surround the actions of the Spartans as they chose not to cooperate with the rest of Greece to fight off the invading Persians. It comes to light even more than it did in 300 that if the Spartans were anything but brave, they were arrogant and in many ways the events documented in this second film minimize the glory and honor that many in the audience no doubt imagined went along with Leonidas and his brave three hundred's beautiful deaths. They went into battle expecting death, but left their women and children with the likelihood of being turned into slaves by Persians anyway? It doesn't make much sense and ultimately seems selfish in order to adhere to the code of how they were raised than anything resembling bravery, but the good thing of all this is realizing Rise of an Empire stirred some thought in me and invoked a reaction and participation I never expected to have.

You can't go wrong by getting this movie. The 3D is real 3D, not the fake conversion that is very unappealing. It one-ups the action of the last movie over and over again. I just wish there were more Leonidas. It's a completely different story, a true sequel, therefore he can't be in it because he didn't make it past the last film, but they show the 300 Spartans in one scene, teasing an awesome flash back, yet it is only a tease. I just thought the updated 3D graphics would have held strong with the old story as well. Still, well worth the money. I think you should get it, unless you are afraid of a little blood haha

The events of this sequel to 300 occur more or less concurrently with the first movie. You get to see some returning people (see how Xerxes comes to be). They mention stuff that is going on in the first 300. If you have a 3D TV, I would definitely recommend this movie as the 3D is pretty top notch. Where the first movie was more or less confined to the Hot Gates and repelling wave after wave of Persian forces of increasing strength and variety, this movie takes place on a grander scale of locales. Not the greatest movie plot- and acting-wise, but the action is fun. So pop some corn and prepare to be entertained.